Liquidmetal Technologies Inc (LQMT)

[Anax]

Fuel Cells and other energy applications with "properties (combinations) that are otherwise unachievable"

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2013/0150230.html

"The processing ability of BMGs enables a highly versatile method to create hierarchically patterned surfaces of 3D metallic objects over multi-length scales...

Thus, according to the present disclosure, bulk metallic glass alloys are provided that may be processed to achieve effective surface patterning, combined with controlled chemistry in metals to achieve properties (combinations) that are otherwise unachievable....

patterned bulk metallic glass alloys of the present disclosure may be employed for various energy/fuel cell systems, e.g., direct alcohol fuel cell and battery applications, particularly by patterning the BMGs into nanostructured shapes with high surface areas, e.g., nanofibers...

Recognizing the advantages of BMG alloys for fuel cell applications, it is contemplated according to the present disclosure that comparable advantages will be realized for battery applications....

The BMG nanowire fabrication sequence (FIG. 11) allows the diameter of nanowires to be controlled from ca. 100 nm to 10 nm (FIG. 12) with an aspect ratio up to 200:1 [97]. These length scales are very close to conventional supported catalyst particle dimensions [98]. In an exemplary fabrication process, the BMG is heated (250° C.) into the super cooled liquid region where it softens and under applied pressure (130 MPa) can be thermoplastically imprinted (FIG. 11c) so that the BMG fills the nanopores (FIG. 11d)....

Conductivity Values ((Sm-1) of Various Materials (Room Temperature) Carbon
Material: CarbonBlack:1-10 Nanotubes: 25,000 Platinum: 92,250 BMGs: 316,450 Copper: 596,000


Specifically, the disclosed electrocatalysts have the potential to possess low cost, high surface area, high utilization, high activity, and high durability

New Energy Applications—

a. BMGs as Transparent Conductive Electrodes for Solar Cell Applications: BMG Nanowire Network....

BMG nanowires have been created according to the present disclosure with 15 nm diameter and aspect ratio around 200 with amorphous structure. By using a template with smaller pore diameters and controlling the imprinting temperature and pressure, crystalline BMG nanowires may be obtained with diameters <5 nm and aspect ratio in the range of 500 to 1000. It is contemplated that such BMG nanowire network may perform effectively as transparent conductive electrodes (TCEs) for organic solar cells.....

Successful demonstrations such as vertically aligned BMG nanowires with carbon nanotube forests projecting from the exterior surface could open up a new realm of possibilities for energy conversion and storage devices that can exploit these metallic/graphene interfaces....

Claim 5: A method according to claim 4, wherein the Pt-BMG is at least in part Pt58Cu15Ni5P22. "

- Pt58Cu15Ni5P22 is patented by CIP

http://www.faqs.org/patents/app/20120298266

- Liquidmetal has already adopted Schroers`s Technology: Themoplastic Forming of micro-replications. And on their latest IR presentation update they also mentioned nanoscale fabrication

(see for both post: http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=88283211)

- Moreover one of LM`s scientists, Q. Pham, who is till researching for LM, has been already involved in the subject of microstructure fabrication together with Schroer since 2007

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/login.jsp?tp=&arnumber=4147602&url=http%3A%2F%2Fieeexplore.ieee.org%2Fxpls%2Fabs_all.jsp%3Farnumber%3D4147602

- It could be possible that one day LM will be able to use this kind of game-changing technology. The combination of printable 3D-intricate high surface area together with metallic material is just unbeatable!

some other-related examples:



http://www.schroerslab.com/press/honeycomb-structures-of-bulk-metallic-glasses-covered-as-a-frontispiece-in-the-august-edition-of-advanced-functional-materials